Bible Students Forum

Welcome to the Bible Students Forum!

A place to dialogue about God's Divine Plan of the Ages. To inquire of the original Bible Students, about our beliefs, practices and history.

The Bible Students were founded in the 1860s via the ministry of Pastor Charles Taze Russell. "Charles Taze Russell you say? Isn't he the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses?" To that we answer "no!" Not directly, he did give birth to the Watch Tower Society, but it was the Society after his death that founded the Jehovah's Witnesses, while the original Bible Students separated due to doctrinal and organizational changes.

We have no animosity towards our Jehovah's Witnesses friends, we wish them well, and invite them, both current and former members to join us in dialogue, breaking bread and discuss God's Plan of salvation.

The Bible Students as a whole are a fragmented group, adhering to various doctrinal positions, some liberal, others conservative in their views of Pastor Russell's writings.

The sponsors of this forum and website take a very conservative view. We strive to be steadfast in presenting the Truth and proclaim only the "meat in due season" as served by our returned Lord through the Seventh Messenger, Pastor C.T. Russell. We are in full harmony with the doctrinal teachings and principles presented in the six volumes of "Studies in the Scriptures", Tabernacle Shadows and their respective forwards, as well as other writings of the Pastor.

We hold to the following:

1. That Pastor Russell is "that servant" of Matthew 24:45-47.

2. That our Lord has been present since the beginning of His Second Advent in 1874.

3. That the Church has part in the sin-offering (Romans 6: 10-13), but no part in the ransom.

4. That the True Church "the little flock," is developed under the Sarah feature of the Abrahamic Covenant.

5. That there will be a secondary class, "the great company," consisting of spirit-begotten brethren, prospective members of The Christ, who through carelessness or lack of zeal will receive a lesser spiritual reward.

6. That if we expect to reign with Christ in the Kingdom, we must suffer with Him here for His cause. (2 Timothy 2:12).

7. That the Times of Restitution (Acts 3: 20-21) began with the thousand year reign of our Lord in 1874, and that Resurrection and Mediation for the world of mankind will begin after the inauguration of the New Covenant by The Christ, Head and Body, glorified.

We do however recognize as Brethren (1) All who accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their Redeemer, (2) Who profess full consecration to the doing of our Heavenly Father's Will (as stated by our Lord Jesus in Hebrews 10:7, 9) and (3) Whose conduct and attitude support this profession of faith (as shown in Hebrews 10:22-24).